Ben Rice hits 40th and 41st homers as Yankees beat Rays 9-2 a day after Tampa Bay clinches AL East

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Rice hit his 40th and 41st home runs, Ryan McMahon added a grand slam while matching his career high with five RBIs and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 on Wednesday night.

Gerrit Cole (10-9) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner had a 3.61 ERA and 131 strikeouts over 22 starts and 127 innings following his return in May from Tommy John surgery.

A day after Tampa Bay clinched the AL East title, Rice hit the first pitch of the first inning from Mason Englert (0-4) into the right-field second deck for his fourth career leadoff homer and second this season.

Rice added a solo drive in the fourth for his fifth career multihomer game and finished with three hits. He is tied for the AL home run lead with Baltimore's Pete Alonso, the Rays' Junior Caminero and Houston's Yordan Alvarez.

George Lombard Jr. also homered for the Yankees and Cedric Mullins went deep for the Rays.

New York is assured of hosting a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series starting Tuesday, likely against Boston. The winner will face the Rays in a best-of-five Division Series.

McMahon had an RBI single in the second and boosted the lead to 7-0 in the third with his third career slam.

Englert, brought up to allow Rays starters extra rest ahead of the playoffs, allowed eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said left-hander Shane McClanahan won't recover in time for the Division Series but left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and right-hander Tyler Wells are possibilities. All three have forearm tightness.

Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.94 ERA) and Rays RHP Freddy Peralta (9-11, 4.56) start Thursday night's series finale.

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New York Yankees' Ryan McMahon watches his grand slam during the third inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Mason Englert watches a solo home run by New York Yankees' Ben Rice during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Ben Rice reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Ben Rice reacts after hitting a solo home run in front of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

BOSTON (AP) — Sonny Gray pitched six innings to tie Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez for the major league lead with his 18th victory, Andruw Monasterio drove in the only run with a sixth-inning single, and the Boston Red Sox edged Cleveland 1-0 on Wednesday night to snap the Guardians’ six-game winning streak.

It was just the fifth win in 13 games for the Red Sox, who clinched a playoff spot on Sunday.

The 36-year-old Gray (18-5) is in line to become the fourth Red Sox pitcher since 2000 to lead the AL in victories, joining Rick Porcello (2016), Josh Beckett (’07) and Curt Schilling (’04).

Gray allowed four singles, struck out three, walked one and lowered his ERA to 2.72.

Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth for his 35th save of the season.

Cleveland starter Foster Griffin (15-6) gave up a run on 10 hits with seven strikeouts.

The Guardians entered with a one-game lead over the White Sox atop the AL Central after winning the series opener Tuesday, but needed a win Wednesday combined with a loss by either the Rangers or Astros to clinch a postseason berth.

The victory came with a price for the Red Sox when center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela left with right hamstring tightness after running out a single the same day he was activated from the injured list. He had been sidelined with a right a quad strain since Sept. 3 and made a diving headlong grab on Steven Kwan, the game’s first batter.

Jarren Duran singled leading off the sixth, advanced on a groundout and barely beat left fielder Kwan’s throw with a headfirst slide on Monasterio’s hit.

Red Sox LHP Ranger Suarez (8-4, 3.27 ERA) is slated to start the series finale Thursday. The Guardians had not named a starter.

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Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran, right, beats the throw to Cleveland Guardians' Patrick Bailey to score on a single by Andruw Monasterio during the sixth inning of a baseball, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Foster Griffin delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela, right, blows a bubble while being taken out of the game by manager Chad Tracy after an apparent injury following the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)